1 00:00:08,217 --> 00:00:10,219 [News] The accident occurred around 9:30 last night 2 00:00:10,219 --> 00:00:12,054 near Lewisporte, Newfoundland. 3 00:00:12,054 --> 00:00:14,306 A van containing four professional wrestlers 4 00:00:14,306 --> 00:00:16,725 suddenly plunged into a shallow stream. 5 00:00:16,725 --> 00:00:18,519 Police in Newfoundland say they are 6 00:00:18,519 --> 00:00:20,395 continuing their investigation. 7 00:00:20,395 --> 00:00:22,564 Adrian Adonis! 8 00:00:22,564 --> 00:00:24,816 [Audience booing] 9 00:00:24,816 --> 00:00:27,069 Good friend called me. He said, 10 00:00:27,069 --> 00:00:29,363 "Did you hear about Adrian?" I said, "No." 11 00:00:29,363 --> 00:00:32,533 I phoned my wife, I said that I'm coming home. 12 00:00:32,533 --> 00:00:36,286 And she said, "Okay, why? Did something happen?" 13 00:00:36,286 --> 00:00:38,413 I said, "Yeah," I said, "everybody's dead." 14 00:00:38,413 --> 00:00:40,707 ♪ 15 00:00:40,707 --> 00:00:43,168 [narrator] On July 4th, 1988, 16 00:00:43,168 --> 00:00:44,962 three professional wrestlers were killed 17 00:00:44,962 --> 00:00:47,548 in a tragic car accident on a remote highway 18 00:00:47,548 --> 00:00:50,175 in Newfoundland, Canada. 19 00:00:50,175 --> 00:00:52,344 The most famous name among the victims was 20 00:00:52,344 --> 00:00:54,846 World Wrestling Federation superstar , 21 00:00:54,846 --> 00:00:57,557 "The Adorable" Adrian Adonis. 22 00:00:57,557 --> 00:01:00,477 The circumstances surrounding the crash have grown into 23 00:01:00,477 --> 00:01:02,563 an urban legend in the wrestling world, 24 00:01:02,563 --> 00:01:05,232 fuelling decades of debate and speculation. 25 00:01:33,051 --> 00:01:37,097 A tragedy that took the lives of three wrestlers, 26 00:01:37,097 --> 00:01:39,766 with one man left standing, 27 00:01:39,766 --> 00:01:42,561 haunted by what he saw that night. 28 00:01:42,561 --> 00:01:46,606 ♪ 29 00:01:46,606 --> 00:01:48,900 I'll never forget it. 30 00:01:52,904 --> 00:01:55,949 Yes, I am. Thank God for that. 31 00:01:55,949 --> 00:01:59,453 ♪ 32 00:01:59,453 --> 00:02:04,416 ♪ 33 00:02:04,416 --> 00:02:07,461 ♪ 34 00:02:07,461 --> 00:02:10,631 I'm gonna slap him around in front of all you scumbags, 35 00:02:10,631 --> 00:02:13,342 you ignoramuses, and all you freeloaders, 36 00:02:13,342 --> 00:02:15,260 and all you armchair quarterbacks. 37 00:02:15,260 --> 00:02:17,137 And people, you think that you know about the 38 00:02:17,137 --> 00:02:19,556 sport of wrestling, which you know nothing about. 39 00:02:19,556 --> 00:02:23,393 In the 1980s, Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation 40 00:02:23,393 --> 00:02:26,772 presented a larger than life world filled with heroes, 41 00:02:26,772 --> 00:02:30,525 villains, and a rotating cast of colourful tough guys. 42 00:02:30,525 --> 00:02:32,235 But few were more colourful than 43 00:02:32,235 --> 00:02:36,365 "The Adorable" one himself, Adrian Adonis. 44 00:02:36,365 --> 00:02:40,702 Adrian Adonis was one of the best big man wrestlers 45 00:02:40,702 --> 00:02:43,705 in the game at the time. 46 00:02:43,705 --> 00:02:46,833 Adrian Adonis was a really unique wrestler because 47 00:02:46,833 --> 00:02:50,170 physically he had this body that didn't look like 48 00:02:50,170 --> 00:02:52,005 it would be acrobatic. 49 00:02:52,005 --> 00:02:53,882 -Look at that! -[Audience cheering] 50 00:02:53,882 --> 00:02:54,966 And it was. 51 00:02:54,966 --> 00:02:58,136 Unbelievable performer. Unbelievable. 52 00:02:58,136 --> 00:03:01,098 His timing alone made him exceptional. 53 00:03:01,098 --> 00:03:02,974 Oh, the dancing bear! 54 00:03:02,974 --> 00:03:04,726 Look out, upside down and over! 55 00:03:04,726 --> 00:03:07,604 Twinkle toes, man. The guy could move like nothing. 56 00:03:07,604 --> 00:03:09,481 And regardless what these fans think, 57 00:03:09,481 --> 00:03:11,400 Adrian Adonis is a devastating individual 58 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,151 in that ring. 59 00:03:13,151 --> 00:03:15,654 Adrian's provocative ability to push buttons and 60 00:03:15,654 --> 00:03:18,740 boundaries catapults him to the top of the card, 61 00:03:18,740 --> 00:03:20,867 earning him a coveted weekly segment 62 00:03:20,867 --> 00:03:23,995 known as 'The Flower Shop'. 63 00:03:23,995 --> 00:03:25,997 You know, straight people hating gays was 64 00:03:25,997 --> 00:03:28,458 certainly the idea behind the gimmick. 65 00:03:28,458 --> 00:03:32,462 The business of pro wrestling was very, very stereotypical. 66 00:03:32,462 --> 00:03:35,215 And very often it would be, you know, kind of fat guys, 67 00:03:35,215 --> 00:03:37,676 with, that would bleach their hair blonde, 68 00:03:37,676 --> 00:03:40,011 and that was kind of like your stereotype. 69 00:03:40,011 --> 00:03:41,722 And I'm gonna say something right now, 70 00:03:41,722 --> 00:03:43,849 and admit it right now, everybody wants to hear it 71 00:03:43,849 --> 00:03:47,144 and I'm gonna say it. Yes, I'm gay. 72 00:03:47,144 --> 00:03:50,814 [Audience booing] 73 00:03:50,814 --> 00:03:53,233 Adrian knew the business well enough, 74 00:03:53,233 --> 00:03:56,820 so he knew what he had to do to make people hate him. 75 00:03:56,820 --> 00:03:58,363 And he did that. 76 00:03:58,363 --> 00:04:01,158 [Announcer] There's not too much really that's adorable. 77 00:04:01,158 --> 00:04:05,078 However, the star's flamboyant in-ring persona could hardly 78 00:04:05,078 --> 00:04:07,914 be more different from the reality of the man 79 00:04:07,914 --> 00:04:09,624 behind the character. 80 00:04:09,624 --> 00:04:11,334 The black roots are showing in the hair, is that- 81 00:04:11,334 --> 00:04:13,336 -[Laughing] -I'm natural. 82 00:04:13,336 --> 00:04:14,755 What are you talking about? 83 00:04:14,755 --> 00:04:16,339 He wasn't a bullshit wrestler. 84 00:04:16,339 --> 00:04:19,426 He was a bonafide, legitimate tough guy 85 00:04:19,426 --> 00:04:21,636 that had to have his fair number 86 00:04:21,636 --> 00:04:23,180 of street fights in his lifetime. 87 00:04:24,765 --> 00:04:27,934 I'm Bret "The Hitman" Hart, 7-time WWE World Champion, 88 00:04:27,934 --> 00:04:30,687 WCW Champion, and a WWE Hall of Famer. 89 00:04:30,687 --> 00:04:32,522 He's letting him use the fist. Oh, look at that! 90 00:04:32,522 --> 00:04:34,483 "The Hitman" Bret Hart! 91 00:04:34,483 --> 00:04:36,276 And I'm a very close personal friend 92 00:04:36,276 --> 00:04:38,653 of the late Adrian Adonis. 93 00:04:38,653 --> 00:04:40,322 Born Keith Franke, 94 00:04:40,322 --> 00:04:42,616 the future Adrian Adonis grew up in a 95 00:04:42,616 --> 00:04:45,702 working class neighbourhood in Buffalo, New York. 96 00:04:45,702 --> 00:04:48,663 He's bread and butter Buffalo man, born and raised. 97 00:04:48,663 --> 00:04:50,957 We grew up on the west side of Buffalo. 98 00:04:50,957 --> 00:04:53,668 Rough neighbourhood. 90% Italian. 99 00:04:53,668 --> 00:04:55,962 I'd never seen him lose a fight in my life. 100 00:04:55,962 --> 00:04:57,964 As soon as he put that smirk on his face, 101 00:04:57,964 --> 00:04:59,591 you knew you'd better get the hell out of there 102 00:04:59,591 --> 00:05:01,259 or you're in trouble. 103 00:05:01,259 --> 00:05:03,261 My name is Anthony Gugino, 104 00:05:03,261 --> 00:05:05,680 and I'm a close friend of Keith Franke, 105 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,975 the wrestler Adrian Adonis, as you would know him. 106 00:05:08,975 --> 00:05:11,978 You couldn't help love the guy, man. 107 00:05:11,978 --> 00:05:13,563 He had a heart of gold. 108 00:05:13,563 --> 00:05:15,065 I mean, he'd do anything for ya. 109 00:05:15,065 --> 00:05:18,151 But if you crossed him, he'd pick you up and 110 00:05:18,151 --> 00:05:21,404 body slam you- like that. 111 00:05:21,404 --> 00:05:23,865 Like nothing. 112 00:05:23,865 --> 00:05:26,368 Keith was my Luca Brasi. 113 00:05:26,368 --> 00:05:28,703 I'm 5'5, 120 pounds. 114 00:05:28,703 --> 00:05:31,289 He's 6'2, 240. 115 00:05:31,289 --> 00:05:33,708 And when someone owed me money I'd just walk with 116 00:05:33,708 --> 00:05:35,794 Keith my side: "You got my money?" 117 00:05:35,794 --> 00:05:38,880 And they'd just look and say, "Yeah." 118 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,258 He was what they call very connected. 119 00:05:41,258 --> 00:05:44,970 If you said, "I'm with Adrian," it's like it meant 120 00:05:44,970 --> 00:05:48,890 you had a gold card to go wherever you wanted. 121 00:05:48,890 --> 00:05:52,686 We started out as a high school fraternity, Kappa Beta. 122 00:05:52,686 --> 00:05:55,564 From there we went to a street gang. 123 00:05:55,564 --> 00:05:59,901 From a street gang we went to fighting with everybody. 124 00:05:59,901 --> 00:06:02,696 We were the baddest in Buffalo, 125 00:06:02,696 --> 00:06:05,365 so everybody had a target on us. 126 00:06:05,365 --> 00:06:08,243 Most of our guys became gangsters. 127 00:06:08,243 --> 00:06:12,455 But Keith had purpose, and why waste your life fighting 128 00:06:12,455 --> 00:06:17,043 with these idiots when you could go and become something? 129 00:06:17,043 --> 00:06:18,628 He knew he had to make a move, 130 00:06:18,628 --> 00:06:20,964 and what he wanted was wrestling. 131 00:06:20,964 --> 00:06:25,176 I said, "You want something, Keith, you gotta go for it." 132 00:06:25,176 --> 00:06:28,305 Dropping out of high school to focus on wrestling, 133 00:06:28,305 --> 00:06:31,224 Adrian brings his experience fighting in the streets 134 00:06:31,224 --> 00:06:33,018 to the squared circle. 135 00:06:33,018 --> 00:06:34,311 I watched Adrian when he first started 136 00:06:34,311 --> 00:06:35,770 in Amarillo, Texas. 137 00:06:35,770 --> 00:06:38,064 I was about 15 or 16 then. 138 00:06:38,064 --> 00:06:40,150 Adrian announced to the audience that 139 00:06:40,150 --> 00:06:42,360 he would take on anybody in the building. 140 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,571 ♪ 141 00:06:44,571 --> 00:06:46,615 This advertisement says, "If you can stay in the ring with 142 00:06:46,615 --> 00:06:51,161 Adrian Adonis for ten minutes, you could win $10,000." 143 00:06:51,161 --> 00:06:53,914 And there'd be about 4 or 5 guys that would come down, 144 00:06:53,914 --> 00:06:55,332 and they'd interview them, and talk to them 145 00:06:55,332 --> 00:06:56,583 while they're outside the ring. 146 00:06:56,583 --> 00:06:59,753 And then they would get in the ring. 147 00:06:59,753 --> 00:07:02,923 Adrian would knock them out cold. 148 00:07:02,923 --> 00:07:05,133 It gives you an idea of what Adrian was like. 149 00:07:05,133 --> 00:07:07,093 He was a fearless kind of guy. 150 00:07:07,093 --> 00:07:08,970 So you'd have to be a pretty tough guy to take on 151 00:07:08,970 --> 00:07:12,182 all comers, you know, fight fans for real. 152 00:07:12,182 --> 00:07:14,392 I mean, you don't know who the guy is. 153 00:07:14,392 --> 00:07:15,852 My name is Dave Meltzer. I'm the editor of 154 00:07:15,852 --> 00:07:17,103 The Wrestling Observer Newsletter 155 00:07:17,103 --> 00:07:20,273 and I've been covering pro wrestling since 1971. 156 00:07:20,273 --> 00:07:22,442 It wasn't enough to just out-wrestle the guy. 157 00:07:22,442 --> 00:07:23,526 You know, he'll go and tell his friends, 158 00:07:23,526 --> 00:07:24,861 "Hey, I hung with a guy." It's like, 159 00:07:24,861 --> 00:07:26,613 you have to leave marks. 160 00:07:26,613 --> 00:07:28,114 You have to pound his face in, 161 00:07:28,114 --> 00:07:30,116 or break a bone or something. 162 00:07:30,116 --> 00:07:32,285 And when he goes around town, it's like, "Oh, God, 163 00:07:32,285 --> 00:07:34,537 those guys were killers." You know? 164 00:07:34,537 --> 00:07:38,750 And Adrian was one of those guys. 165 00:07:38,750 --> 00:07:42,712 In time, Adrian's size, look, and killer instinct lands him 166 00:07:42,712 --> 00:07:44,839 a spot in one of the most popular promotions 167 00:07:44,839 --> 00:07:46,758 in the business: Vern Gagne's 168 00:07:46,758 --> 00:07:49,135 American Wrestling Association. 169 00:07:49,135 --> 00:07:52,597 We all knew what he was. He was great. 170 00:07:52,597 --> 00:07:53,974 I'm Greg Gagne. 171 00:07:53,974 --> 00:07:56,518 I wrestled for 18 years in the AWA. 172 00:07:56,518 --> 00:08:00,647 -[Audience cheering] -There's the Gagne sleeper! 173 00:08:00,647 --> 00:08:02,232 My father was Vern Gagne, 174 00:08:02,232 --> 00:08:05,402 a legend in the sport of professional wrestling. 175 00:08:05,402 --> 00:08:08,279 And Adrian came in and Verne liked him right away, 176 00:08:08,279 --> 00:08:12,117 liked his presence in the ring and eventually 177 00:08:12,117 --> 00:08:15,662 they teamed him up with Jesse Ventura. 178 00:08:15,662 --> 00:08:17,998 Well, somebody's going to pay for this. 179 00:08:17,998 --> 00:08:19,541 Somebody's going to pay dearly for this, 180 00:08:19,541 --> 00:08:20,834 ain't that right, Adrian? 181 00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:23,253 Definitely, so let me tell you something, Stanley Blackburn... 182 00:08:23,253 --> 00:08:24,838 Jesse was the better talker of the two, 183 00:08:24,838 --> 00:08:26,339 but Adrian was not a bad talker. 184 00:08:26,339 --> 00:08:27,424 He was a good talker, 185 00:08:27,424 --> 00:08:29,217 and they played off each other really well. 186 00:08:29,217 --> 00:08:31,886 He wore the leather jacket with the New York Yankees 187 00:08:31,886 --> 00:08:33,096 insignia, which, you know, 188 00:08:33,096 --> 00:08:35,140 in the Midwest that's good for being a heel. 189 00:08:35,140 --> 00:08:37,225 You know, the New York biker type guy 190 00:08:37,225 --> 00:08:39,686 going against your Midwest local heroes. 191 00:08:39,686 --> 00:08:43,356 "The Golden Boy" Adrian Adonis! 192 00:08:43,356 --> 00:08:45,692 Seeing him live in the AWA with Greg Gagne and 193 00:08:45,692 --> 00:08:48,737 Jim Brunzell, and get punched and do these pirouettes. 194 00:08:48,737 --> 00:08:50,655 And being whipped into the corner and doing that flip 195 00:08:50,655 --> 00:08:53,158 that Ric Flair would do and just making little 196 00:08:53,158 --> 00:08:56,745 Greg Gagne, you know, thin guy, look like, 197 00:08:56,745 --> 00:09:00,206 you know, badass of all badasses. 198 00:09:00,206 --> 00:09:02,625 Taking the dropkicks from Jim Brunzell. 199 00:09:02,625 --> 00:09:05,253 And it was really there where he went from being what 200 00:09:05,253 --> 00:09:09,007 I would call a really good wrestler to being a real star. 201 00:09:09,007 --> 00:09:11,551 His bumps and his reaction and, you know, 202 00:09:11,551 --> 00:09:13,845 his facial expression, and he was sort of 203 00:09:13,845 --> 00:09:17,307 that bully on the microphone. 204 00:09:17,307 --> 00:09:19,059 And a couple weeks ago I heard Ray Stevens had 205 00:09:19,059 --> 00:09:21,811 Pat Patterson out here giving us a so-called challenge. 206 00:09:21,811 --> 00:09:23,313 And he could back it up. 207 00:09:23,313 --> 00:09:25,356 So, he was an exceptional talent. 208 00:09:25,356 --> 00:09:28,443 Jumping Jim Brunzell! 209 00:09:28,443 --> 00:09:29,778 I'm Jim Brunzell, 210 00:09:29,778 --> 00:09:32,280 otherwise known as "Jumping Jim Brunzell." 211 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:33,615 [Audience cheering] 212 00:09:33,615 --> 00:09:36,367 And I wrestled for 28 years. 213 00:09:36,367 --> 00:09:38,703 Adrian knew when to get heat, and then he knew 214 00:09:38,703 --> 00:09:41,706 when to give the babyface a comeback. 215 00:09:41,706 --> 00:09:43,416 We were so proud of him. 216 00:09:43,416 --> 00:09:46,252 One of our guys was actually making to be a star? 217 00:09:46,252 --> 00:09:48,838 On TV we're watching one of our friends? 218 00:09:48,838 --> 00:09:50,715 Grew up on the west side of Buffalo, 219 00:09:50,715 --> 00:09:52,592 none of us had nothing. 220 00:09:52,592 --> 00:09:56,846 You have no idea the parties we were throwing. 221 00:09:56,846 --> 00:10:00,517 After years of building a name for himself in the AWA 222 00:10:00,517 --> 00:10:03,645 and across the country, Adrian eventually signs with 223 00:10:03,645 --> 00:10:06,105 Vince McMahon's WWF. 224 00:10:06,105 --> 00:10:07,690 I got scars on my face, 225 00:10:07,690 --> 00:10:10,527 I've had baseball bats across my shoulder. 226 00:10:10,527 --> 00:10:15,406 By the time I got to the WWE in '84, I was nobody. 227 00:10:15,406 --> 00:10:17,367 I was a little fish in a big pond, 228 00:10:17,367 --> 00:10:21,496 and Adrian was a pretty big fish. 229 00:10:21,496 --> 00:10:23,540 And look at confidence just oozing... 230 00:10:23,540 --> 00:10:26,209 He knew everything about everything in the business. 231 00:10:26,209 --> 00:10:28,837 I tried to bond with him and become friends with him. 232 00:10:28,837 --> 00:10:32,757 I can remember going up to Adrian Adonis' room. 233 00:10:32,757 --> 00:10:34,092 Jim Neidhart told me to come up, 234 00:10:34,092 --> 00:10:36,719 and I can remember feeling kind of funny, 235 00:10:36,719 --> 00:10:40,098 'cause I could tell like I wasn't welcome. 236 00:10:40,098 --> 00:10:41,808 He doesn't trust being around me, 237 00:10:41,808 --> 00:10:43,226 I'm a "promoter's kid." 238 00:10:43,226 --> 00:10:45,228 I'm probably gonna tell on him. 239 00:10:45,228 --> 00:10:48,231 And I can remember Jim, peeping through the peephole, 240 00:10:48,231 --> 00:10:51,067 and I could hear Adrian, "It's Bret, don't let him in." 241 00:10:51,067 --> 00:10:53,778 And then I could hear Jim go, "No, no, he's cool, he's cool, 242 00:10:53,778 --> 00:10:56,865 he's totally cool, let him in." I hear the chain 243 00:10:56,865 --> 00:11:00,285 come off and Jim was like, "Come on in." 244 00:11:00,285 --> 00:11:02,704 Adrian, he's chopping up a bunch of cocaine 245 00:11:02,704 --> 00:11:06,499 on a mirror, you know, he's chopping it all up. 246 00:11:06,499 --> 00:11:10,128 A very, uh, telling kind of moment for me 'cause that 247 00:11:10,128 --> 00:11:14,173 opened the door for me to sit in a room with Roddy Piper, 248 00:11:14,173 --> 00:11:17,635 and Mr. Fuji, Iron Sheik. 249 00:11:17,635 --> 00:11:18,678 Like, for me it was like 250 00:11:18,678 --> 00:11:20,972 sitting under the learning tree. 251 00:11:20,972 --> 00:11:23,433 I know I was doing lines of cocaine with uh, 252 00:11:23,433 --> 00:11:25,852 all these guys until 4, or 5 in the morning. 253 00:11:25,852 --> 00:11:28,062 They were all the most creative minds 254 00:11:28,062 --> 00:11:30,523 in wrestling at that time. 255 00:11:30,523 --> 00:11:33,026 This is so critical and important for me to be 256 00:11:33,026 --> 00:11:34,944 in this room with these guys, listening, 257 00:11:34,944 --> 00:11:38,406 and learning all these little secrets about the business. 258 00:11:38,406 --> 00:11:40,408 Wrestling psychology. 259 00:11:40,408 --> 00:11:43,369 -Woah, woah, wow! -[Cheering] 260 00:11:43,369 --> 00:11:44,996 But I never ever look back on those days as 261 00:11:44,996 --> 00:11:47,123 being wasted time. 262 00:11:47,123 --> 00:11:50,543 Cocaine was about as prevalent as marijuana was 263 00:11:50,543 --> 00:11:53,421 in the 60s. And I mean, everybody had it. 264 00:11:53,421 --> 00:11:55,256 You'd meet somebody in the bar, you shake his hand, 265 00:11:55,256 --> 00:11:58,927 and as soon as you shake his hand he'd squeeze a 8-ball of 266 00:11:58,927 --> 00:12:00,845 cocaine into your hand, and basically 267 00:12:00,845 --> 00:12:03,514 it was like a starter kit. "Don't worry, it's on us." 268 00:12:03,514 --> 00:12:05,808 They'd give it to you and tell you, you know, 269 00:12:05,808 --> 00:12:07,310 we'll get you down the road sometime, you know, 270 00:12:07,310 --> 00:12:09,520 pay me back. 271 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:12,690 Adrian went hard every night. Every night. 272 00:12:12,690 --> 00:12:14,609 If you looked up "party animal" on the dictionary 273 00:12:14,609 --> 00:12:17,153 there'd be a picture of Adrian Adonis. 274 00:12:17,153 --> 00:12:20,782 The problem with cocaine, it was how it could 275 00:12:20,782 --> 00:12:23,952 turn around and become a monster in a short time. 276 00:12:23,952 --> 00:12:26,454 And then you're sitting at home watching soap operas 277 00:12:26,454 --> 00:12:27,789 in the middle of the afternoon and 278 00:12:27,789 --> 00:12:30,959 you're going, "It's all... it's all over." 279 00:12:30,959 --> 00:12:33,127 ♪ 280 00:12:37,131 --> 00:12:40,134 252 pounds... 281 00:12:40,134 --> 00:12:43,388 Adrian Adonis! 282 00:12:43,388 --> 00:12:47,558 Joining the WWF roster during its 1980s golden age, 283 00:12:47,558 --> 00:12:50,728 Adrian Adonis seems destined for greatness. 284 00:12:50,728 --> 00:12:52,814 But behind the curtain... 285 00:12:52,814 --> 00:12:56,859 the trappings of success begin to take a toll. 286 00:12:56,859 --> 00:12:58,278 There was a lot of wrestlers that were 287 00:12:58,278 --> 00:13:02,907 strung out on cocaine. 288 00:13:02,907 --> 00:13:05,326 And we started to realize it wasn't the friendly drug that 289 00:13:05,326 --> 00:13:08,579 we all thought when we first started snorting it. 290 00:13:08,579 --> 00:13:11,332 It's a bad drug that you gotta wean yourself off of 291 00:13:11,332 --> 00:13:14,043 and stay away from. 292 00:13:14,043 --> 00:13:16,296 Me and Jim Neidhart, we had the white flag up. 293 00:13:16,296 --> 00:13:18,047 We had nothing left in the tank like, 294 00:13:18,047 --> 00:13:20,717 we can't do anymore drugs and late nights. 295 00:13:20,717 --> 00:13:23,219 We kind of stopped kind of partying with everyone 296 00:13:23,219 --> 00:13:26,347 because it was just too, too much. 297 00:13:26,347 --> 00:13:28,891 They were all coke heads. Don't let nothing fool ya. 298 00:13:28,891 --> 00:13:31,102 They were all partiers. 299 00:13:31,102 --> 00:13:35,815 There wasn't nobody in that business, maybe a few. 300 00:13:35,815 --> 00:13:38,860 You could probably get 1 out of 100 who wasn't a partier. 301 00:13:38,860 --> 00:13:42,280 I mean, it was nothing but a party. 302 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,451 They entertained, had a good time, but they partied. 303 00:13:46,451 --> 00:13:49,746 I remember one night I just had the rest of my beer and 304 00:13:49,746 --> 00:13:51,080 I was going to bed, 305 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:52,373 and I heard this knock on the door. 306 00:13:52,373 --> 00:13:55,793 So I open the door and here's Adrian. [Laughing] 307 00:13:55,793 --> 00:13:58,504 And he says, "Goddamn it, Jimmy, I'm gonna kill myself. 308 00:13:58,504 --> 00:14:01,549 Take this bag of cocaine and keep it for me." 309 00:14:01,549 --> 00:14:03,551 I said okay, you know? 310 00:14:03,551 --> 00:14:06,721 About 4 and a half hours later, I hear bam bam bam 311 00:14:06,721 --> 00:14:08,848 at the door, and I thought, what the heck, you know? 312 00:14:08,848 --> 00:14:10,433 It's like 5 in the morning. 313 00:14:10,433 --> 00:14:12,393 So, I open the door and Adrian's fit to be tied, 314 00:14:12,393 --> 00:14:15,063 he says, "Brunzie, where's the goddamn coke?" 315 00:14:15,063 --> 00:14:16,981 He said, "You better not have taken any." 316 00:14:16,981 --> 00:14:19,067 And I gave it to him and out he went. 317 00:14:19,067 --> 00:14:21,611 ♪ 318 00:14:21,611 --> 00:14:23,696 I just remember thinking, his wife has no idea. 319 00:14:23,696 --> 00:14:26,532 I doubt he ever does stuff like that at home. 320 00:14:26,532 --> 00:14:28,534 When he was with his wife, 321 00:14:28,534 --> 00:14:30,787 he was a completely different guy. 322 00:14:30,787 --> 00:14:32,038 Talk about Jekyll and Hyde. 323 00:14:32,038 --> 00:14:33,664 I don't know if there's anybody that I know of 324 00:14:33,664 --> 00:14:36,876 that was more of a devoted, loving, family man 325 00:14:36,876 --> 00:14:39,295 that loved his wife, loved his kids. 326 00:14:39,295 --> 00:14:40,755 The way he talked to his wife was like, 327 00:14:40,755 --> 00:14:42,131 she was like an angel. 328 00:14:42,131 --> 00:14:45,093 And I remember he'd pull her chair out and 329 00:14:45,093 --> 00:14:47,804 slide it back in when she sat down. 330 00:14:47,804 --> 00:14:49,889 It's like, he was such a gentleman. 331 00:14:49,889 --> 00:14:51,933 I almost thought it was a put on at first. 332 00:14:51,933 --> 00:14:53,893 I was 19 when we met. 333 00:14:53,893 --> 00:14:55,770 I knew what I was getting into with him. 334 00:14:55,770 --> 00:14:58,231 I think to have that strong bond with a wrestler 335 00:14:58,231 --> 00:15:00,900 you have to really love each other. 336 00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:05,154 This was his dream and I wanted it for him. 337 00:15:05,154 --> 00:15:07,698 My name is Bea Franke Hall 338 00:15:07,698 --> 00:15:10,243 and I was married to Adrian Adonis. 339 00:15:10,243 --> 00:15:12,495 Home life, that was different. 340 00:15:12,495 --> 00:15:14,288 He was definitely not the same as 341 00:15:14,288 --> 00:15:16,207 you would see in the ring. 342 00:15:16,207 --> 00:15:19,168 No, he was a very gentle, kind, loving, 343 00:15:19,168 --> 00:15:23,506 flowers, jewelry- sweet, sweet man. 344 00:15:23,506 --> 00:15:25,633 I would wake up and he'd have breakfast made for me and 345 00:15:25,633 --> 00:15:27,301 bring it to me in bed. 346 00:15:27,301 --> 00:15:29,470 They had such a close relationship even though 347 00:15:29,470 --> 00:15:31,222 he was gone a lot of the time, 348 00:15:31,222 --> 00:15:33,057 but he would call several times a day. 349 00:15:33,057 --> 00:15:34,392 She's, you know, always, 350 00:15:34,392 --> 00:15:37,061 I remember her talking about the collect phone calls, 351 00:15:37,061 --> 00:15:38,438 the bills would be outrageous. 352 00:15:38,438 --> 00:15:40,189 They just had a really good relationship, 353 00:15:40,189 --> 00:15:44,360 I mean, their personalities meshed well. 354 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,905 I'm Gena Banta, and Adrian Adonis was my father. 355 00:15:47,905 --> 00:15:49,323 Thought I was the coolest kid ever. 356 00:15:49,323 --> 00:15:53,703 I had a Peewee Herman signed poster that he got for me. 357 00:15:53,703 --> 00:15:55,079 I am Angela Perides 358 00:15:55,079 --> 00:15:57,957 and I am the oldest daughter of Adrian Adonis. 359 00:15:57,957 --> 00:15:59,333 Watching 3 Stooges, 360 00:15:59,333 --> 00:16:02,211 that's, was something that he loved to watch. 361 00:16:02,211 --> 00:16:04,589 It was always on when he was home. 362 00:16:04,589 --> 00:16:07,049 In his big bag that he would take on the road there was 363 00:16:07,049 --> 00:16:11,637 always just presents, gifts, we were gonna have fun. 364 00:16:11,637 --> 00:16:14,015 Dad was home. 365 00:16:14,015 --> 00:16:15,808 I think I was a good wife. 366 00:16:15,808 --> 00:16:17,685 He trusted me totally. 367 00:16:17,685 --> 00:16:21,230 I never screwed around, I never asked questions. 368 00:16:21,230 --> 00:16:23,816 I think we had an awesome relationship. 369 00:16:23,816 --> 00:16:26,277 I could not get mad at that man. 370 00:16:26,277 --> 00:16:29,322 I could not. 371 00:16:29,322 --> 00:16:32,867 Despite his stable home life, Adrian's cocaine addiction 372 00:16:32,867 --> 00:16:36,162 causes his in-ring style to become even more vicious... 373 00:16:36,162 --> 00:16:39,498 Ultimately damaging his reputation backstage. 374 00:16:39,498 --> 00:16:40,708 Whoa! 375 00:16:40,708 --> 00:16:42,210 He was edgy. [Laughing] 376 00:16:42,210 --> 00:16:45,213 I mean, he was edgy. He had a temper. 377 00:16:45,213 --> 00:16:48,007 You see the sadistic come out of Adrian now. 378 00:16:48,007 --> 00:16:51,177 If I know Adrian, he's gonna get real nasty right now. 379 00:16:51,177 --> 00:16:53,804 Coked up Adrian Adonis would be very, very rough on guys. 380 00:16:53,804 --> 00:16:55,765 And if they complained, it's like well, 381 00:16:55,765 --> 00:16:57,934 you're not tough enough for this business, get out. 382 00:16:57,934 --> 00:17:00,019 Wow, a lot behind those knees. 383 00:17:00,019 --> 00:17:01,437 The thing about all those kinds of things is 384 00:17:01,437 --> 00:17:02,813 every dog has its day. 385 00:17:02,813 --> 00:17:04,315 There's always going to be somebody that can 386 00:17:04,315 --> 00:17:06,275 whip your butt sooner or later. 387 00:17:06,275 --> 00:17:08,569 Uh oh, uh oh. My goodness. 388 00:17:08,569 --> 00:17:11,948 In 1985, Vince McMahon decides that Adrian's 389 00:17:11,948 --> 00:17:14,700 character needs a dramatic makeover, 390 00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:16,327 from New York City tough guy 391 00:17:16,327 --> 00:17:20,456 to something completely different. 392 00:17:20,456 --> 00:17:21,999 You look a whole lot different. 393 00:17:21,999 --> 00:17:24,377 When Vince took over in '84, 394 00:17:24,377 --> 00:17:27,255 it was more and more about colourful characters. 395 00:17:27,255 --> 00:17:29,257 It was not as much about tough guys. 396 00:17:29,257 --> 00:17:30,466 You know, everybody had to have a gimmick, 397 00:17:30,466 --> 00:17:33,177 and that Adrian Adonis gimmick he didn't see as 398 00:17:33,177 --> 00:17:35,096 a main event gimmick... 399 00:17:35,096 --> 00:17:37,014 the New York tough guy thing. 400 00:17:37,014 --> 00:17:40,560 The leather jacket is gonna be retired. 401 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,564 Weighing 281 pounds, 402 00:17:44,564 --> 00:17:51,862 "The Adorable" Adrian Adonis. 403 00:17:51,862 --> 00:17:55,574 Well uh, there are certain things that defy description. 404 00:17:55,574 --> 00:17:58,953 The idea of the, the gay character... 405 00:17:58,953 --> 00:18:02,873 That was not super common, but it was absolutely there. 406 00:18:02,873 --> 00:18:04,542 You know, starting with Gorgeous George. 407 00:18:04,542 --> 00:18:07,044 So of course, you know, when something is successful 408 00:18:07,044 --> 00:18:09,338 in wrestling everybody copies you. 409 00:18:09,338 --> 00:18:11,299 So he, he went from, yeah, the Adrian Adonis 410 00:18:11,299 --> 00:18:14,719 black leather New York tough guy thing, and then, uh, 411 00:18:14,719 --> 00:18:16,470 they started doing vignettes where he was, you know, 412 00:18:16,470 --> 00:18:19,056 embracing his other side. 413 00:18:19,056 --> 00:18:21,684 May The Rockettes eat your heart out. 414 00:18:21,684 --> 00:18:23,060 [Laughing] 415 00:18:23,060 --> 00:18:26,230 I'll tell ya, when he, they made him dress up with uh, 416 00:18:26,230 --> 00:18:28,899 the perfume thing and as a homosexual, 417 00:18:28,899 --> 00:18:32,403 none of us liked it, but we understood it. 418 00:18:32,403 --> 00:18:34,405 Just look at him. 419 00:18:34,405 --> 00:18:37,950 He was too good to be doing what McMahon wanted him to do. 420 00:18:37,950 --> 00:18:40,911 But up there that's the way he had to survive. 421 00:18:40,911 --> 00:18:43,164 They, they, they do not approve apparently. 422 00:18:43,164 --> 00:18:45,916 If he had to do that, he had to have a gimmick. 423 00:18:45,916 --> 00:18:47,627 He had to be this big, 424 00:18:47,627 --> 00:18:52,340 like Gorgeous George for Vince to give him any credit. 425 00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:53,883 When they say when he goes out on the town that 426 00:18:53,883 --> 00:18:55,384 he's a gay blade, I don't know. 427 00:18:55,384 --> 00:18:57,053 [Laughing] What do we say there? 428 00:18:57,053 --> 00:18:58,846 I don't know that Adrian liked the idea at first, 429 00:18:58,846 --> 00:19:00,681 but I think he did a quick turn around. 430 00:19:00,681 --> 00:19:02,725 You know what, I'm gonna just prove to you that I can do it. 431 00:19:02,725 --> 00:19:06,145 That I'm that talented, that I can take something 432 00:19:06,145 --> 00:19:09,315 as stupid as that and make it work and uh, 433 00:19:09,315 --> 00:19:11,609 I'm gonna prove that to you. 434 00:19:11,609 --> 00:19:14,445 In May of 1986, Adrian is set to wrestle 435 00:19:14,445 --> 00:19:17,448 a relative newcomer to the business. 436 00:19:17,448 --> 00:19:19,825 I was scheduled to work with Adrian because 437 00:19:19,825 --> 00:19:22,620 Adrian was getting ready for a run with Hogan. 438 00:19:22,620 --> 00:19:24,497 Chicken champion, Hulk Hogan. 439 00:19:24,497 --> 00:19:26,248 Let me tell you something, Adonis. 440 00:19:26,248 --> 00:19:28,834 So, they give Adrian people to beat up 441 00:19:28,834 --> 00:19:30,669 and be impressive with. 442 00:19:30,669 --> 00:19:33,422 I was kind of looking forward to it because Adrian, 443 00:19:33,422 --> 00:19:37,927 you know, was a, one of the main guys. 444 00:19:37,927 --> 00:19:40,304 Hi, everyone, my name is Dan Spivey. 445 00:19:40,304 --> 00:19:42,973 Formerly known as "Dangerous" Dan Spivey. 446 00:19:42,973 --> 00:19:46,102 Spivey looking absolutely fantastic. 447 00:19:46,102 --> 00:19:47,770 I was new into the wrestling business. 448 00:19:47,770 --> 00:19:50,189 I'd probably only been in there a little over a year. 449 00:19:50,189 --> 00:19:53,401 I guess Adrian thought I was just some young guy. 450 00:19:53,401 --> 00:19:54,944 An easy big guy. 451 00:19:54,944 --> 00:19:57,029 I was always quiet, didn't have much to say, 452 00:19:57,029 --> 00:19:59,281 and so I guess he took that as weakness. 453 00:19:59,281 --> 00:20:01,617 And he was wrong. 454 00:20:01,617 --> 00:20:03,577 Pitted against Spivey, 455 00:20:03,577 --> 00:20:05,913 Adrian will learn just how wrong he was 456 00:20:05,913 --> 00:20:09,417 in a match that will change his life forever. 457 00:20:09,417 --> 00:20:11,043 He just exploded. 458 00:20:11,043 --> 00:20:14,338 All of a sudden, he let off and he hit him in the head 459 00:20:14,338 --> 00:20:16,298 with a left hook and said, 460 00:20:16,298 --> 00:20:18,676 "I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." 461 00:20:18,676 --> 00:20:21,011 ♪ 462 00:20:25,975 --> 00:20:27,852 In the lead up to his showdown against 463 00:20:27,852 --> 00:20:31,272 world champion, Hulk Hogan, Adrian Adonis is 464 00:20:31,272 --> 00:20:34,150 set to wrestle and defeat Dan Spivey, 465 00:20:34,150 --> 00:20:37,403 solidifying his position as one of the top villains 466 00:20:37,403 --> 00:20:39,029 in the company. 467 00:20:39,029 --> 00:20:41,031 Of course, I had in the back of my mind that he was uh, 468 00:20:41,031 --> 00:20:43,117 also a tough guy, and you know, 469 00:20:43,117 --> 00:20:44,994 I heard that he would take advantage of guys. 470 00:20:44,994 --> 00:20:48,330 So, I had mixed feelings about wrestling him, and uh, 471 00:20:48,330 --> 00:20:50,291 sure enough, we got in the ring and he started 472 00:20:50,291 --> 00:20:53,544 kicking me really hard. 473 00:20:53,544 --> 00:20:56,464 Calling me a stupid son of a bitch, you know... 474 00:20:56,464 --> 00:20:59,842 and just abusing the shit out of me. 475 00:20:59,842 --> 00:21:03,345 Adrian Adonis wasting no time in taking advantage of 476 00:21:03,345 --> 00:21:05,931 the inexperience of an older boy. 477 00:21:05,931 --> 00:21:08,184 I was pissed after the match. 478 00:21:08,184 --> 00:21:10,394 I was gonna fight him right there. 479 00:21:10,394 --> 00:21:13,522 And then, uh, Davey Boy and Dynamite and Scott McGhee 480 00:21:13,522 --> 00:21:15,816 grabbed my stuff, they got us in a cab, 481 00:21:15,816 --> 00:21:17,902 and got me back to the place. 482 00:21:17,902 --> 00:21:21,071 Got me out of the coliseum. 483 00:21:21,071 --> 00:21:24,116 So the next night, we were in Flint Michigan, 484 00:21:24,116 --> 00:21:26,368 and it was sold out, 10,000 people. 485 00:21:26,368 --> 00:21:28,412 Vince says, "You guys are working together." 486 00:21:28,412 --> 00:21:31,207 I said, "Okay." 487 00:21:31,207 --> 00:21:35,836 Bob Orton and I had heard there was some bad blood and 488 00:21:35,836 --> 00:21:39,924 it had been building between Adrian and Danny Spivey. 489 00:21:39,924 --> 00:21:43,385 We were hoping that the match should get by. 490 00:21:43,385 --> 00:21:45,888 He was supposed to win. Beat me with something, 491 00:21:45,888 --> 00:21:48,432 I don't remember what it was, but he was going over, 492 00:21:48,432 --> 00:21:50,142 which was expected. 493 00:21:50,142 --> 00:21:53,395 But he started the same shit with me again. 494 00:21:53,395 --> 00:21:56,440 When I was on all fours, he knocked the air out of me, 495 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,859 and then he got me in a sleeper hold and he was 496 00:21:58,859 --> 00:22:02,238 really cinching down on it and I just had enough of it. 497 00:22:02,238 --> 00:22:04,907 ♪ 498 00:22:04,907 --> 00:22:06,158 And I kind of snapped. 499 00:22:06,158 --> 00:22:08,869 I came up swinging and I knocked him out. 500 00:22:08,869 --> 00:22:10,871 The Referee says, "Dan, that's not the finish." 501 00:22:10,871 --> 00:22:12,373 I said, "I changed the finish. 502 00:22:12,373 --> 00:22:14,416 He's not going over tonight." 503 00:22:14,416 --> 00:22:17,002 ♪ 504 00:22:17,002 --> 00:22:20,005 So, Bob and I run into the ring because I didn't want, 505 00:22:20,005 --> 00:22:22,675 you know, Danny to kill him. 506 00:22:22,675 --> 00:22:26,637 Please, let's go back to the locker room. 507 00:22:26,637 --> 00:22:29,139 Everybody was going crazy running around 508 00:22:29,139 --> 00:22:31,016 the dressing room. 509 00:22:31,016 --> 00:22:33,936 I'm still pissed. 510 00:22:33,936 --> 00:22:36,855 And then all of a sudden, the door opens up. 511 00:22:36,855 --> 00:22:39,483 ♪ 512 00:22:39,483 --> 00:22:41,819 And Adrian is coming. 513 00:22:41,819 --> 00:22:44,989 ♪ 514 00:22:44,989 --> 00:22:48,325 He starts talking to Danny, you know, 515 00:22:48,325 --> 00:22:50,619 like he was going to apologize or something. 516 00:22:50,619 --> 00:22:53,789 And then he goes to leg dive Danny. 517 00:22:53,789 --> 00:22:56,166 ♪ 518 00:22:56,166 --> 00:22:58,419 Spivey, you know, he was a quiet guy. 519 00:22:58,419 --> 00:23:01,005 If you poke a dog a number of times 520 00:23:01,005 --> 00:23:05,259 he's gonna bite your ass. 521 00:23:05,259 --> 00:23:09,305 You can imagine a guy, 6 '7, you know, 280 pounds, 522 00:23:09,305 --> 00:23:12,516 throwing a punch from down by his knee. 523 00:23:12,516 --> 00:23:14,184 An upper cut. 524 00:23:14,184 --> 00:23:16,103 Lifted Adrian up in the air 525 00:23:16,103 --> 00:23:18,856 and Adrian came down like a walrus. 526 00:23:18,856 --> 00:23:20,399 Boom! 527 00:23:20,399 --> 00:23:22,860 And he just rolled his eyes back and 528 00:23:22,860 --> 00:23:24,820 you could see his cheekbone. 529 00:23:24,820 --> 00:23:29,533 The white part of the bone was sticking through the skin. 530 00:23:29,533 --> 00:23:31,285 They called an ambulance and they took him to 531 00:23:31,285 --> 00:23:34,580 the hospital and nobody saw Adrian again for, 532 00:23:34,580 --> 00:23:36,457 it had to be a couple weeks. 533 00:23:36,457 --> 00:23:39,084 I wished it would have been different but I had to 534 00:23:39,084 --> 00:23:42,755 protect myself, and uh, protect my reputation. 535 00:23:42,755 --> 00:23:45,799 Anyway, I got fired about a month later. 536 00:23:45,799 --> 00:23:48,761 Let go. 537 00:23:48,761 --> 00:23:51,138 I kind of felt bad for him. It had to sting getting 538 00:23:51,138 --> 00:23:52,890 his ass whipped in front of everybody. 539 00:23:52,890 --> 00:23:55,100 All the wrestlers that watched him. 540 00:23:55,100 --> 00:23:57,311 When you're a guy that everybody fears and that 541 00:23:57,311 --> 00:23:59,480 happens to you, you kind of lose a little bit of face 542 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:00,689 and, and, and... 543 00:24:00,689 --> 00:24:02,650 I don't want to say respect, but... 544 00:24:02,650 --> 00:24:06,403 You kind of lose something when that happens, yeah. 545 00:24:06,403 --> 00:24:08,572 And it was horrible for Adrian because, 546 00:24:08,572 --> 00:24:14,328 I don't think he ever really recovered from that. 547 00:24:14,328 --> 00:24:17,831 Humiliated after the confrontation with Spivey, 548 00:24:17,831 --> 00:24:23,170 Adrian spirals further into his cocaine addiction. 549 00:24:23,170 --> 00:24:25,714 Adrian was starting to show a lot of decline, 550 00:24:25,714 --> 00:24:28,050 and then he was getting heavier, and he was uh, 551 00:24:28,050 --> 00:24:29,385 wasn't moving like he used to. 552 00:24:29,385 --> 00:24:31,637 He wasn't, he wasn't the guy he used to be 553 00:24:31,637 --> 00:24:33,972 and I think he knew that. 554 00:24:33,972 --> 00:24:38,435 The trouble with substance abuse is when you do 555 00:24:38,435 --> 00:24:40,896 find time to eat, you gorge yourself 556 00:24:40,896 --> 00:24:43,399 and then you fall asleep. 557 00:24:43,399 --> 00:24:45,818 So you're eating tons of calories, 558 00:24:45,818 --> 00:24:49,613 and it's got no place to go except as tissue on your body. 559 00:24:49,613 --> 00:24:52,366 ♪ 560 00:24:52,366 --> 00:24:56,620 He told me, "Damn, I'm reaching 300." 561 00:24:56,620 --> 00:24:58,831 I didn't see that. 562 00:24:58,831 --> 00:25:01,208 Maybe because I was his wife I did not see that. 563 00:25:01,208 --> 00:25:03,544 I just saw him. 564 00:25:03,544 --> 00:25:05,087 He didn't know how to stop. 565 00:25:05,087 --> 00:25:06,255 I don't think he knew how to change it 566 00:25:06,255 --> 00:25:08,048 without changing his whole life. 567 00:25:08,048 --> 00:25:10,008 Adonis had the match won! 568 00:25:10,008 --> 00:25:15,097 In May of 1987, Adrian suddenly leaves the WWF. 569 00:25:15,097 --> 00:25:17,307 Leaving in shame and disgust. 570 00:25:17,307 --> 00:25:19,518 Though the reasons are unclear, 571 00:25:19,518 --> 00:25:23,105 rumours backstage suggest he was fired for substance abuse. 572 00:25:23,105 --> 00:25:25,357 ♪ 573 00:25:25,357 --> 00:25:27,317 I just know that Adrian suddenly disappeared, 574 00:25:27,317 --> 00:25:29,945 where he wasn't on the cards anymore. 575 00:25:29,945 --> 00:25:31,864 I think guys like me just assumed 576 00:25:31,864 --> 00:25:34,241 he'll be back in a few weeks. 577 00:25:34,241 --> 00:25:35,534 ♪ 578 00:25:35,534 --> 00:25:37,453 I thought for a second he may have had enough! 579 00:25:37,453 --> 00:25:39,747 The next time I saw Adrian he was 400 pounds. 580 00:25:39,747 --> 00:25:41,915 Him and I wrestled in Las Vegas. 581 00:25:41,915 --> 00:25:44,668 We thought this would be a great match. 582 00:25:44,668 --> 00:25:48,005 We were doing a international television champion. 583 00:25:48,005 --> 00:25:51,008 I think Adonis is just too big 584 00:25:51,008 --> 00:25:53,135 for the of frame Greg Gagne. 585 00:25:53,135 --> 00:25:56,180 And we got in the ring, he was breathing so hard. 586 00:25:56,180 --> 00:25:58,223 We barely made 10 minutes. 587 00:25:58,223 --> 00:26:03,145 Orton is trying to drag Adonis back to the ring. 588 00:26:03,145 --> 00:26:06,482 We sat down in the locker room and we just talked. 589 00:26:06,482 --> 00:26:08,317 And I told him, I said, "Jesus, Adrian, 590 00:26:08,317 --> 00:26:10,194 what have you done? God almighty, 591 00:26:10,194 --> 00:26:13,197 why don't you go get back to your regular weight. 592 00:26:13,197 --> 00:26:15,657 You're one of the great performers of all time. 593 00:26:15,657 --> 00:26:18,452 This isn't you, and you know from our philosophy, 594 00:26:18,452 --> 00:26:20,871 'be yourself, be who you are'." 595 00:26:20,871 --> 00:26:22,372 Oh! 596 00:26:22,372 --> 00:26:25,250 And, maybe that night woke him up a little bit. 597 00:26:25,250 --> 00:26:28,504 Still only 34 years old, Adrian commits to 598 00:26:28,504 --> 00:26:31,965 getting back in shape, losing nearly 100 pounds 599 00:26:31,965 --> 00:26:33,926 over the next 6 months. 600 00:26:33,926 --> 00:26:36,053 Ditching the "Adorable One" persona, 601 00:26:36,053 --> 00:26:38,722 he sets his sights on competing in Japan. 602 00:26:38,722 --> 00:26:41,767 [Cheering] 603 00:26:41,767 --> 00:26:45,020 Life was great. Everything was great. 604 00:26:45,020 --> 00:26:47,439 Just a happy family. 605 00:26:47,439 --> 00:26:50,108 It was over happy. 606 00:26:50,108 --> 00:26:52,027 I saw him in Tokyo. 607 00:26:52,027 --> 00:26:54,863 I ran across him at a popular place for the, 608 00:26:54,863 --> 00:26:57,491 for the American guys, "gaijins", to eat. 609 00:26:57,491 --> 00:26:59,785 Steakhouse. I saw him there. 610 00:26:59,785 --> 00:27:02,496 I had a beer with him, shook hands and uh, you know, 611 00:27:02,496 --> 00:27:05,833 sorry things happened the way it did, you know. 612 00:27:05,833 --> 00:27:07,876 So, we had a beer. 613 00:27:10,212 --> 00:27:13,632 Yeah, pretty much. 614 00:27:13,632 --> 00:27:15,676 I remember having dinner with him and Bea. 615 00:27:15,676 --> 00:27:16,677 He really did seem like 616 00:27:16,677 --> 00:27:19,137 he was getting his life together again. 617 00:27:19,137 --> 00:27:22,307 Getting ready for, uh, a big comeback. 618 00:27:22,307 --> 00:27:23,433 He was at that age where 619 00:27:23,433 --> 00:27:25,435 he could still turn things around. 620 00:27:25,435 --> 00:27:27,813 Reinvent himself and come back. 621 00:27:27,813 --> 00:27:29,773 And I don't think anyone ever thought, "Oh 622 00:27:29,773 --> 00:27:33,235 that's the last we'll hear of Adrian Adonis." 623 00:27:33,235 --> 00:27:36,905 The last time I saw Keith was in LA in a hotel room. 624 00:27:36,905 --> 00:27:38,740 He had flew in from Japan. 625 00:27:38,740 --> 00:27:42,411 I met him that night. 626 00:27:42,411 --> 00:27:45,706 That morning he was to fly out to Canada. 627 00:27:45,706 --> 00:27:48,333 ♪ 628 00:27:48,333 --> 00:27:50,419 He came back to the room to tell me goodbye 629 00:27:50,419 --> 00:27:53,046 a second time, he had never done that. 630 00:27:53,046 --> 00:27:55,966 ♪ 631 00:27:55,966 --> 00:27:58,468 Um, that was our last goodbye, 632 00:27:58,468 --> 00:28:00,470 the last time I saw him alive. 633 00:28:00,470 --> 00:28:02,639 ♪ 634 00:28:10,856 --> 00:28:12,733 Leaving his wife in Los Angeles, 635 00:28:12,733 --> 00:28:15,319 Adrian departs for Canada where his fate will 636 00:28:15,319 --> 00:28:17,529 intersect with a pair of veteran wrestlers 637 00:28:17,529 --> 00:28:20,908 known as the Kelly Twins. 638 00:28:20,908 --> 00:28:24,703 I was the only survivor at that time. 639 00:28:24,703 --> 00:28:27,372 Quite a tragedy. 640 00:28:27,372 --> 00:28:31,376 Adrian Adonis, he was a tough boy and uh, 641 00:28:31,376 --> 00:28:34,004 he loved being in the ring. 642 00:28:34,004 --> 00:28:36,548 He was a good boy. 643 00:28:36,548 --> 00:28:38,216 My name's Mike Kelly, and I've been 644 00:28:38,216 --> 00:28:41,762 a professional wrestler for 23 and a half years with 645 00:28:41,762 --> 00:28:43,805 my twin brother, Pat. 646 00:28:43,805 --> 00:28:47,351 People had probably known me from the Oh Henry commercial. 647 00:28:47,351 --> 00:28:49,478 When you consider how big it is. 648 00:28:49,478 --> 00:28:52,397 Back years ago, that big chocolate fudge. 649 00:28:52,397 --> 00:28:55,400 It's that big chocolate fudge. 650 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:57,569 ♪ 651 00:28:57,569 --> 00:28:59,905 The Kelly twins were veteran wrestlers that I remember 652 00:28:59,905 --> 00:29:02,199 from the 60s, they worked for my dad. 653 00:29:02,199 --> 00:29:03,992 Identical twins. 654 00:29:03,992 --> 00:29:05,494 You couldn't tell which one you were talking to. 655 00:29:05,494 --> 00:29:08,247 This is when we were in Japan. 656 00:29:08,247 --> 00:29:10,999 A bunch of us sitting around a sushi bar, 657 00:29:10,999 --> 00:29:12,668 drinking and eating. 658 00:29:12,668 --> 00:29:17,881 I think this was in Tokyo. Hacksaw Higgins. 659 00:29:17,881 --> 00:29:22,302 I think my brother fell in love that night. 660 00:29:22,302 --> 00:29:24,429 Gosh, we were inseparable. 661 00:29:24,429 --> 00:29:28,517 We enjoyed being together, doing things together. 662 00:29:28,517 --> 00:29:31,061 My mother always dressed us the same. 663 00:29:31,061 --> 00:29:35,357 If Pat had a black coat on, I'd wear a black coat. 664 00:29:35,357 --> 00:29:38,944 If he had brown shoes, then I would wear brown shoes. 665 00:29:38,944 --> 00:29:41,530 We had identical diamond rings. 666 00:29:41,530 --> 00:29:44,866 Identical watches. Identical hats. 667 00:29:44,866 --> 00:29:47,953 We lived our life as twins. 668 00:29:47,953 --> 00:29:50,998 He got hurt one time, and I wasn't there, 669 00:29:50,998 --> 00:29:52,833 and I knew something was wrong, I says, 670 00:29:52,833 --> 00:29:56,253 "My brother's hurt." I could feel it. 671 00:29:56,253 --> 00:30:00,340 We had that special bond, which was good for us. 672 00:30:05,762 --> 00:30:08,265 We were working, like, around Toronto. 673 00:30:08,265 --> 00:30:11,059 Dave McKigney, the promoter, he had called and 674 00:30:11,059 --> 00:30:14,646 asked us if we wanted to come down to Newfoundland. 675 00:30:14,646 --> 00:30:16,273 And I says, "Well, yeah, 676 00:30:16,273 --> 00:30:19,901 we'll come down and wrestle for ya." 677 00:30:19,901 --> 00:30:23,238 So we packed up our van and drove down with uh, 678 00:30:23,238 --> 00:30:24,656 my brother and I, 679 00:30:24,656 --> 00:30:29,745 and Adrian Adonis come in from Japan. 680 00:30:29,745 --> 00:30:33,373 The main event was Adrian Adonis with "The Bearman" 681 00:30:33,373 --> 00:30:36,543 against my brother and I. 682 00:30:36,543 --> 00:30:38,336 Dave McKigney was 683 00:30:38,336 --> 00:30:41,590 a journeyman wrestler who promoted shows, 684 00:30:41,590 --> 00:30:44,134 and his gimmick was that he had a bunch of bears 685 00:30:44,134 --> 00:30:46,261 living at his house that he trained to wrestle. 686 00:30:46,261 --> 00:30:48,472 So, that's where he got the name "The Bearman." 687 00:30:48,472 --> 00:30:52,059 Dave was the complete old school guy. 688 00:30:52,059 --> 00:30:54,811 He was a good person and a good promoter, 689 00:30:54,811 --> 00:30:59,149 and one of the best payout men ever. 690 00:30:59,149 --> 00:31:02,319 My name is Ricky "Soulman" Johnson. 691 00:31:02,319 --> 00:31:04,738 I borrowed the name from my brother Rocky Johnson 692 00:31:04,738 --> 00:31:07,699 actually, because we were partners for a long time and 693 00:31:07,699 --> 00:31:10,160 he passed away, so, I decided to 694 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:16,083 honour him by, um, using his nickname. 695 00:31:16,083 --> 00:31:18,835 Bearman stories were almost like a travelling circus. 696 00:31:18,835 --> 00:31:22,756 We had -----, kidgets, bears- [Laughing] 697 00:31:22,756 --> 00:31:25,050 There was something for everyone. 698 00:31:25,050 --> 00:31:26,343 Dave "The Bearman", he owned the 699 00:31:26,343 --> 00:31:29,054 wrestling bear, um, "Terrible Ted." 700 00:31:29,054 --> 00:31:31,056 It's kind of a rib if the promoter tells you, 701 00:31:31,056 --> 00:31:32,933 "You're wrestling the wrestling bear tonight." 702 00:31:32,933 --> 00:31:36,812 It's like, like, really? Like, are you kidding me? 703 00:31:36,812 --> 00:31:39,773 ♪ 704 00:31:39,773 --> 00:31:41,358 I wouldn't get near the bear. 705 00:31:41,358 --> 00:31:43,944 A bear has so much strength, like, you know, 706 00:31:43,944 --> 00:31:47,405 it could tear you apart in less than half a minute. 707 00:31:47,405 --> 00:31:49,449 Actually, there was an incident 708 00:31:49,449 --> 00:31:52,244 with Bearman's girlfriend. 709 00:31:52,244 --> 00:31:54,955 Apparently she was upstairs taking a shower and 710 00:31:54,955 --> 00:31:56,998 the bear had sensed it, 711 00:31:56,998 --> 00:31:59,292 and Bearman was working in the garden. 712 00:31:59,292 --> 00:32:01,086 ♪ [Suspenseful] ♪ 713 00:32:01,086 --> 00:32:05,590 And the bear had actually came up into the bathroom. 714 00:32:05,590 --> 00:32:08,468 [Growling and screaming] 715 00:32:08,468 --> 00:32:11,012 Clawed her to death. 716 00:32:11,012 --> 00:32:12,806 ♪ 717 00:32:12,806 --> 00:32:17,310 The bear had tore her to pieces. 718 00:32:17,310 --> 00:32:19,146 It was a tragedy when I heard it, 719 00:32:19,146 --> 00:32:23,733 I just couldn't believe it. 720 00:32:23,733 --> 00:32:26,361 He was supposed to marry this young lady. 721 00:32:26,361 --> 00:32:29,239 Despite this tragedy, McKigney continues 722 00:32:29,239 --> 00:32:32,659 to work with bears on his next tour. 723 00:32:32,659 --> 00:32:34,870 An 8-week trek across Newfoundland with 724 00:32:34,870 --> 00:32:37,539 a troop of wrestlers that includes the Kelly twins, 725 00:32:37,539 --> 00:32:40,834 Ricky Johnson, and Adrian Adonis. 726 00:32:40,834 --> 00:32:42,669 It was great. Everybody was happy, 727 00:32:42,669 --> 00:32:44,171 everybody was making money. 728 00:32:44,171 --> 00:32:45,714 And the people in Newfoundland 729 00:32:45,714 --> 00:32:49,259 were so very nice to us. 730 00:32:49,259 --> 00:32:51,428 We were in Gander, Newfoundland. 731 00:32:51,428 --> 00:32:53,430 The next night, we had to wrestle 732 00:32:53,430 --> 00:32:55,557 in Lewisporte, Newfoundland. 733 00:32:55,557 --> 00:32:59,311 The mayor of Lewisporte phoned the hotel in Gander, 734 00:32:59,311 --> 00:33:01,605 a Holiday Inn- [Coughing]- 735 00:33:01,605 --> 00:33:03,815 it's just hard to talk about. [Laughing] 736 00:33:03,815 --> 00:33:09,070 Um, and he asked would any of the wrestlers come to 737 00:33:09,070 --> 00:33:12,282 Lewisporte that night that we were off, 738 00:33:12,282 --> 00:33:15,160 because they'd like to throw a party for us. 739 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,205 July 4th 1988, 740 00:33:18,205 --> 00:33:21,041 he had called me 3 times, 741 00:33:21,041 --> 00:33:22,959 and the last phone call he had made to me, he said, 742 00:33:22,959 --> 00:33:24,669 "I'm getting ready to get on a ferry, 743 00:33:24,669 --> 00:33:26,880 I just want to tell you I love you." And I just said, 744 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,342 "Call me later, honey, call me later." 745 00:33:30,342 --> 00:33:33,845 Adrian got in Pat's van, the Canadian Wildman 746 00:33:33,845 --> 00:33:36,139 he got in the van with the Kellys, 747 00:33:36,139 --> 00:33:37,682 and I was just getting ready to climb in, 748 00:33:37,682 --> 00:33:39,142 and Phil blew his horn. 749 00:33:39,142 --> 00:33:40,560 He said, "Why don't you come with me?" 750 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,979 And I said, "Sure, that's cool." 751 00:33:42,979 --> 00:33:46,483 Adrian, the Wildman, and the Kelly twins 752 00:33:46,483 --> 00:33:49,069 were 10 to 15 minutes ahead of us, I guess. 753 00:33:49,069 --> 00:33:52,197 Me and Phil "Whipper" Watson Junior, Little T, 754 00:33:52,197 --> 00:33:55,742 we were just riding down the road having a few laughs. 755 00:33:55,742 --> 00:33:57,202 Everything was all backed up and 756 00:33:57,202 --> 00:33:59,371 going like 2 miles an hour. 757 00:33:59,371 --> 00:34:02,749 So, I said to Phil, "Must have been an accident." 758 00:34:02,749 --> 00:34:05,919 Traffic like this in Newfoundland, you know? 759 00:34:05,919 --> 00:34:07,629 Then I looked over into the water 760 00:34:07,629 --> 00:34:11,341 and I seen a red van in the water. 761 00:34:11,341 --> 00:34:14,177 It's an image that will never leave my mind. 762 00:34:14,177 --> 00:34:16,471 ♪ 763 00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:24,187 We were travelling to Lewisporte, Newfoundland, 764 00:34:24,187 --> 00:34:27,190 so that we could advertise and talk about wrestling. 765 00:34:27,190 --> 00:34:28,900 There was a guy there with a camera, 766 00:34:28,900 --> 00:34:32,570 he was gonna take some pictures of us. 767 00:34:32,570 --> 00:34:34,948 My brother and I, Adrian, and the Bearman. 768 00:34:34,948 --> 00:34:36,908 It was about 8 o'clock at night. 769 00:34:36,908 --> 00:34:40,829 It was as broad daylight as it is at noon. 770 00:34:40,829 --> 00:34:42,998 Pure daylight, I couldn't believe it. 771 00:34:42,998 --> 00:34:45,959 It was amazing. Freaked me right out. 772 00:34:45,959 --> 00:34:48,586 It looks like a desert out there, actually. 773 00:34:48,586 --> 00:34:51,047 We had to go around these big rocks. 774 00:34:51,047 --> 00:34:53,466 We just barely got through with our van. 775 00:34:53,466 --> 00:34:55,051 We were going down the highway 776 00:34:55,051 --> 00:34:57,178 and I saw a little bear cub. 777 00:34:57,178 --> 00:34:59,097 My brother, the reflection of the sun, 778 00:34:59,097 --> 00:35:02,100 caught the sight of his eye and he had, uh, 779 00:35:02,100 --> 00:35:05,812 swerved to the left where the grass was. 780 00:35:05,812 --> 00:35:09,024 The van had gotten down in a little gulley and 781 00:35:09,024 --> 00:35:11,609 hit this huge rock dead on. 782 00:35:11,609 --> 00:35:15,864 ♪ 783 00:35:15,864 --> 00:35:19,534 ♪ 784 00:35:19,534 --> 00:35:21,619 And I fainted. 785 00:35:21,619 --> 00:35:25,582 And I woke up and I felt this water was ice cold. 786 00:35:25,582 --> 00:35:27,167 I just wondered what had happened, like, 787 00:35:27,167 --> 00:35:30,503 why am I in this stream? 788 00:35:30,503 --> 00:35:33,381 Then finally I saw my brother behind the wheel, 789 00:35:33,381 --> 00:35:36,051 slouched on the steering wheel. 790 00:35:36,051 --> 00:35:38,887 ♪ 791 00:35:38,887 --> 00:35:41,806 He had passed away. 792 00:35:41,806 --> 00:35:43,975 I could tell right away... 793 00:35:43,975 --> 00:35:46,353 yeah, it was horrifying. 794 00:35:46,353 --> 00:35:49,481 ♪ 795 00:35:49,481 --> 00:35:51,483 And uh... 796 00:35:51,483 --> 00:35:53,651 ♪ 797 00:35:53,651 --> 00:35:55,487 Give me a minute, please. 798 00:35:55,487 --> 00:35:57,614 [Clearing throat] 799 00:35:57,614 --> 00:36:00,408 ♪ 800 00:36:00,408 --> 00:36:03,703 I seen the van in the water, and I said, 801 00:36:03,703 --> 00:36:06,998 "That looks like the Kelly's van." 802 00:36:06,998 --> 00:36:08,083 I knew it well. 803 00:36:08,083 --> 00:36:10,210 I went down there with them in it, so... 804 00:36:10,210 --> 00:36:15,048 Adrian Adonis was uh, in bad shape. 805 00:36:15,048 --> 00:36:18,593 He was in real bad shape. 806 00:36:18,593 --> 00:36:21,388 The Bearman died instantly. 807 00:36:21,388 --> 00:36:24,641 Adrian he was moaning, "Help me, help me, help me." 808 00:36:24,641 --> 00:36:27,060 I remember Adrian's elbow, 809 00:36:27,060 --> 00:36:29,896 all you could see was the bone sticking out of it. 810 00:36:29,896 --> 00:36:33,441 I remember thinking, like, we gotta save them. 811 00:36:33,441 --> 00:36:35,777 But there was no saving them. 812 00:36:35,777 --> 00:36:41,157 ♪ 813 00:36:41,157 --> 00:36:42,826 It was 4th of July, so you know, 814 00:36:42,826 --> 00:36:45,662 we were celebrating with all my cousins in Bakersfield. 815 00:36:45,662 --> 00:36:47,122 And I do remember, 816 00:36:47,122 --> 00:36:48,998 we had just like a little get together. 817 00:36:48,998 --> 00:36:51,709 I have a cousin that's scared to death of fireworks so 818 00:36:51,709 --> 00:36:54,003 my other cousin went in to check, answered the phone, 819 00:36:54,003 --> 00:36:55,672 they asked for Mrs. Franke. 820 00:36:55,672 --> 00:36:57,215 I just remember she came out screaming out of the house 821 00:36:57,215 --> 00:37:01,803 he was... passed, he had- he was dead. 822 00:37:01,803 --> 00:37:04,139 They said, "Keith has been killed. 823 00:37:04,139 --> 00:37:07,725 He was killed in an auto accident." 824 00:37:07,725 --> 00:37:09,477 I said, "Put Dave on the phone," 825 00:37:09,477 --> 00:37:12,063 Dave McKigney, and he said, "He's dead." 826 00:37:12,063 --> 00:37:14,232 I said, "Put one of the Kelly twins on, I don't know, 827 00:37:14,232 --> 00:37:16,609 you put someone on." 828 00:37:16,609 --> 00:37:19,362 Um, and then the RCMP 829 00:37:19,362 --> 00:37:21,656 called me that night, 830 00:37:21,656 --> 00:37:25,702 and he was, he was gone. 831 00:37:25,702 --> 00:37:29,164 The first few days after his passing I was still in shock. 832 00:37:29,164 --> 00:37:31,916 I did not want to believe it. 833 00:37:31,916 --> 00:37:35,753 Dead is former WWF star "Adorable" Adrian Adonis. 834 00:37:35,753 --> 00:37:38,131 Also killed was Pat Kelly, on the left, 835 00:37:38,131 --> 00:37:39,966 his twin brother Mike, on the right, 836 00:37:39,966 --> 00:37:41,593 was the only survivor of the crash. 837 00:37:43,386 --> 00:37:45,263 Oh yes. Yes. 838 00:37:45,263 --> 00:37:48,016 We're half an hour apart and he was uh, 839 00:37:48,016 --> 00:37:49,767 he was very close to me. 840 00:37:49,767 --> 00:37:52,228 Where he went, I followed behind. 841 00:37:52,228 --> 00:37:54,689 Where I went, he followed behind. 842 00:37:54,689 --> 00:37:57,484 We were inseparable. 843 00:37:57,484 --> 00:37:59,152 The whole world changed, yeah. 844 00:37:59,152 --> 00:38:02,530 In more ways than one 'cause a couple of road guys- 845 00:38:02,530 --> 00:38:03,948 [Clearing throat] ...that worked for 846 00:38:03,948 --> 00:38:06,117 Dave McKigney "The Bearman", 847 00:38:06,117 --> 00:38:08,411 they jumped in the water also, 848 00:38:08,411 --> 00:38:11,706 and they robbed Adrian. 849 00:38:11,706 --> 00:38:14,501 They took his money, watch, 850 00:38:14,501 --> 00:38:17,504 whatever he had, whatever valuables he had. 851 00:38:17,504 --> 00:38:19,380 [Bea] They were arrested, and yes, 852 00:38:19,380 --> 00:38:22,425 I did want to press charges. 853 00:38:22,425 --> 00:38:25,929 Just due to the fact that, what? Why? 854 00:38:25,929 --> 00:38:28,556 Why rob a dead man? 855 00:38:28,556 --> 00:38:31,935 ♪ 856 00:38:31,935 --> 00:38:35,980 So, yeah, we went to a motel in Lewisporte. 857 00:38:35,980 --> 00:38:38,399 We went to the bar. 858 00:38:38,399 --> 00:38:40,235 Some of the guys just to relax, 859 00:38:40,235 --> 00:38:42,153 they wanted to shoot pool. 860 00:38:42,153 --> 00:38:44,364 So they had a couple of drinks. 861 00:38:44,364 --> 00:38:47,659 Then somebody says, "They're all ----ing dead." 862 00:38:47,659 --> 00:38:49,410 Like it just hit them. 863 00:38:49,410 --> 00:38:51,412 [Shattering] 864 00:38:51,412 --> 00:38:52,622 Next thing I know, I just seeing 865 00:38:52,622 --> 00:38:56,751 stuff flying and glasses were flying. 866 00:38:56,751 --> 00:38:58,962 Then all hell just broke loose. 867 00:38:58,962 --> 00:39:03,049 ♪ 868 00:39:03,049 --> 00:39:05,593 And I remember seeing the manager of the motel, 869 00:39:05,593 --> 00:39:08,096 he was just standing off to the side against the wall, 870 00:39:08,096 --> 00:39:10,014 with a pen and paper. 871 00:39:10,014 --> 00:39:11,391 He gave us a bill the next morning. 872 00:39:11,391 --> 00:39:15,353 I think it was 12,000 bucks for the damage. 873 00:39:15,353 --> 00:39:19,816 The next day we drove by the scene of the accident. 874 00:39:19,816 --> 00:39:22,485 Some guys were praying, some were crying, and uh, 875 00:39:22,485 --> 00:39:25,321 CBC came, and they wanted to know 876 00:39:25,321 --> 00:39:27,865 if booze was involved and stuff. 877 00:39:27,865 --> 00:39:31,327 We told them to ---- off, get away from us. 878 00:39:31,327 --> 00:39:33,621 Don't you realize what happened here? 879 00:39:33,621 --> 00:39:35,498 ♪ 880 00:39:40,795 --> 00:39:42,338 Though it's never been proven, 881 00:39:42,338 --> 00:39:44,591 some have suggested that the accident that killed 882 00:39:44,591 --> 00:39:48,428 wrestlers Adrian Adonis, Dave McKigney, and Pat Kelly, 883 00:39:48,428 --> 00:39:51,556 resulted from drinking and driving. 884 00:39:51,556 --> 00:39:54,309 I don't like to think of Keith dying like that. 885 00:39:54,309 --> 00:39:56,603 They probably were coming from a wrestling match party 886 00:39:56,603 --> 00:39:58,521 and having a good time. 887 00:39:58,521 --> 00:40:01,357 No, no drugs, no alcohol. 888 00:40:01,357 --> 00:40:06,404 The doctors had checked all that on me and there was no... 889 00:40:09,407 --> 00:40:13,202 Definitely not. No, definitely not. 890 00:40:13,202 --> 00:40:19,250 I keep a photo of him in my wallet at all times. 891 00:40:19,250 --> 00:40:22,754 I have, uh, photos of him in my bedroom. 892 00:40:22,754 --> 00:40:25,590 ♪ 893 00:40:25,590 --> 00:40:28,134 Yeah, he was my life. 894 00:40:28,134 --> 00:40:31,638 ♪ 895 00:40:31,638 --> 00:40:35,808 But, things have to go on. 896 00:40:35,808 --> 00:40:38,394 ♪ 897 00:40:38,394 --> 00:40:40,104 By the grace of God, it could be you, you know? 898 00:40:40,104 --> 00:40:41,981 Because you never know, we're on the road every night. 899 00:40:41,981 --> 00:40:44,692 Guys were drinking a 12-pack of beer, smoking, you know, 900 00:40:44,692 --> 00:40:46,110 joints and snorting coke, 901 00:40:46,110 --> 00:40:48,488 and driving a hundred miles an hour. 902 00:40:48,488 --> 00:40:51,240 And nobody got killed. 903 00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:54,118 Here's a guy doing the right thing, 904 00:40:54,118 --> 00:40:56,621 and he ends up dying in a tragic accident. 905 00:40:56,621 --> 00:40:59,248 When all of us guys are out here doing the wrong shit 906 00:40:59,248 --> 00:41:01,709 and we're still alive- 907 00:41:01,709 --> 00:41:03,586 How does that balance out? 908 00:41:03,586 --> 00:41:07,507 I guess God was right, the good die young. 909 00:41:07,507 --> 00:41:10,426 I think Keith was one of the best. 910 00:41:10,426 --> 00:41:12,470 He was one of my closest friends 911 00:41:12,470 --> 00:41:16,015 even though we were miles apart. 912 00:41:16,015 --> 00:41:20,812 I was in a federal prison in Texas when he died, 913 00:41:20,812 --> 00:41:23,106 I was in custody, 914 00:41:23,106 --> 00:41:26,984 so I wasn't able to go to the funeral. 915 00:41:26,984 --> 00:41:29,070 I remember Bea telling me that, um, 916 00:41:29,070 --> 00:41:31,989 he was so big that nothing could ever hurt him. 917 00:41:31,989 --> 00:41:33,574 I remember thinking the same thing, 918 00:41:33,574 --> 00:41:36,536 like he was indestructible. 919 00:41:36,536 --> 00:41:38,871 The whole funeral was a blur. 920 00:41:38,871 --> 00:41:43,501 It really didn't hit me until later. 921 00:41:43,501 --> 00:41:47,213 Getting back to home while he was in Japan, um, 922 00:41:47,213 --> 00:41:50,174 and this closet in this new home had 923 00:41:50,174 --> 00:41:52,301 his jacket with the New York emblem. 924 00:41:52,301 --> 00:41:55,388 Adrian Adonis! 925 00:41:55,388 --> 00:41:56,931 That was the only thing in that closet, 926 00:41:56,931 --> 00:41:59,517 I don't know who put it there. 927 00:41:59,517 --> 00:42:03,396 I could just smell him. 928 00:42:03,396 --> 00:42:05,273 Everything came flooding back 929 00:42:05,273 --> 00:42:09,110 and that's when it, it really hit me. 930 00:42:09,110 --> 00:42:12,280 ♪ 931 00:42:12,280 --> 00:42:17,118 I took that damn jacket and I went to bed. 932 00:42:17,118 --> 00:42:22,498 And that was, that was the finality of it. You know? 933 00:42:22,498 --> 00:42:25,376 He was never coming home, ever. 934 00:42:34,260 --> 00:42:37,847 Yes, he sure would. You gotta stay strong. 935 00:42:37,847 --> 00:42:41,100 And that's the way I've lived my life after 936 00:42:41,100 --> 00:42:45,605 my brother had passed, and I'll just keep going. 937 00:42:45,605 --> 00:42:50,943 Ah, we'll do the best we can. 938 00:42:50,943 --> 00:42:53,237 It's all we can do. 939 00:42:53,237 --> 00:42:55,907 ♪ 940 00:42:55,907 --> 00:42:58,493 Adrian Adonis was a very, very talented guy, 941 00:42:58,493 --> 00:43:02,455 and I don't think he ever got the due for his talent 942 00:43:02,455 --> 00:43:03,790 that he should have. 943 00:43:03,790 --> 00:43:06,501 Just because it was not an era where 944 00:43:06,501 --> 00:43:08,544 people really recognized that. 945 00:43:08,544 --> 00:43:10,588 Like, if a guy with the talent of Adrian Adonis was 946 00:43:10,588 --> 00:43:13,508 around today everybody would know how good he is, 947 00:43:13,508 --> 00:43:16,010 and he would be a big, big star. 948 00:43:16,010 --> 00:43:18,054 World Wrestling Federation 949 00:43:18,054 --> 00:43:22,058 tag team champion Adrian Adonis! 950 00:43:22,058 --> 00:43:23,059 He should be honoured. 951 00:43:23,059 --> 00:43:25,520 He should be in the Hall of Fame. 952 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,356 He's a Hall of Famer, without a doubt. 953 00:43:28,356 --> 00:43:31,108 ♪ 954 00:43:31,108 --> 00:43:33,986 I think that if Adrian hadn't have been in that accident, 955 00:43:33,986 --> 00:43:37,323 I don't think it's impossible to think that um, 956 00:43:37,323 --> 00:43:40,785 five years later he'd do Wrestlemania, 957 00:43:40,785 --> 00:43:42,578 Bret Hart versus Adrian Adonis. 958 00:43:42,578 --> 00:43:44,539 Like, who knows? 959 00:43:44,539 --> 00:43:47,124 I would want him to know how much I appreciate all the 960 00:43:47,124 --> 00:43:49,961 little bits of advice and encouragement that he gave me 961 00:43:49,961 --> 00:43:51,796 all through my career, 962 00:43:51,796 --> 00:43:55,007 and just the friendship that I had. 963 00:43:55,007 --> 00:43:56,801 I learned so much from him 964 00:43:56,801 --> 00:43:59,345 and I never take it for granted. 965 00:43:59,345 --> 00:44:01,848 I would have given anything to have an Adrian Adonis 966 00:44:01,848 --> 00:44:05,977 waiting for me in the ring. 967 00:44:05,977 --> 00:44:07,562 He was the real deal.